Every flash tells a story. In my words, the science of lightning.
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Greetings to all friends of the SciFi Multiverse community, I hope everyone is well and having a great day. Today I am going to share with you about lightning or thunder, I hope you like it. I am 
Every day we see lightning flashes in the sky, suddenly with a loud sound. Especially during the rainy season, these scenes are seen a lot. But today I am trying to explain in my own words why this lightning flashes in the sky. We generally call lightning a flash of lightning. But scientifically speaking, it is actually a kind of huge electrical discharge in the sky. When the balance between the positive and negative charges created in the clouds is lost, then suddenly a huge amount of energy is released together. And that's when we see that lightning or thunder.
This is where the real science is hidden. Usually, during the rainy season, a lot of hot air rises up inside the clouds and cold air descends. As a result of this fluctuation, there is a fierce collision between the water particles, ice particles and frost particles in the clouds. This collision creates a kind of friction. This friction causes charge separation. That is, some ice particles and water droplets move downwards carrying a negative charge, while some ice pieces move upwards carrying a positive charge. In this way, a huge charge difference is created inside the clouds. Again, due to the negative charge at the bottom of the clouds, positive charges also start to be created on the ground. Because, electricity always wants to combine with its opposite charge. When this charge difference exceeds the tolerance limit, then a huge current suddenly flows from the cloud to the ground or from one cloud to another, which we call lightning.
When we see lightning, the first thing we see is a sudden flash of light in the sky. This is called a luminous discharge. During the flow of electricity, extremely hot heat is generated through the air, which can reach about 30,000 degrees Celsius. As a result of this heat, the air molecules emit bright light. And this is why we see the flashing lines of light. We hear thunder only after seeing the light. This sound is actually due to the sudden expansion of the air. Because when so much heat is generated, the air suddenly expands and as a result, intense vibrations are created. It is this vibration that we hear as thunder in our ears. The sound usually comes a little later, because light reaches us much faster than sound.
No, not all lightning strikes the ground. Many lightning strikes within clouds. This is called cloud-to-cloud discharge. Sometimes lightning strikes from clouds to the ground, which is called cloud-to-ground discharge. Lightning that strikes the ground is usually the most damaging, as it can cause serious damage to people, plants, buildings, etc. The speed of lightning is truly incredible. This lightning bolt travels at a speed of about 300,000 kilometers per second, which is actually the speed of light. But since it is not direct light, there are some steps in between. The flow of electricity starts slowly, called a step leader. Then when it comes down, it suddenly becomes a full flow at a very fast speed, which is what we see with our eyes.
In the rainy season, there is more humidity in the atmosphere, there is more water vapor and ice particles in the clouds. As a result, there is more collision, more charge separation. So the possibility of lightning increases many times during this time. Summer or rainy season is the most suitable time for lightning. If there is lightning, you must go to a safe shelter. It is very dangerous to be in an open field, under a big tree, on the roof of a tall building. It is relatively safe to be inside a car, because the metal structure of the car transfers the charge outwards, this is called the Faraday cage effect.
Scientists have been researching lightning for a long time. Lightning is photographed using satellites, radars, high-speed cameras, etc. Special lightning measuring devices are installed in different parts of the world, from which data can be collected and the possibility of lightning can be predicted. Not only the damage, but lightning also has some benefits. As a result of lightning, nitrogen in the atmosphere mixes with oxygen to form nitric oxide. This compound acts like fertilizer when it falls on the ground, which helps in increasing the growth of plants. Therefore, nature also takes the help of lightning to maintain its own balance. Behind lightning lies an extraordinary scientific phenomenon of nature. As scary as it looks, the science is as amazing. Lightning, with its friction of clouds, charge separation, electrical discharge, light and sound, teaches us a perfect science of nature. So, whenever lightning flashes in the sky during the rainy season, we are fascinated by it, but we always keep safety in mind.
(Translation: Google Translate)
Thumbnail editing: Canva